


Of Beauty and Beasts

by theblobfishwrites



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Beauty and the Beast AU, Hypothermia, Involuntary Roommates, M/M, Slow Burn, Snowed In, enemies to friends to lovers? More like scared/annoyed by each other to friends to lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-26
Packaged: 2021-03-28 10:54:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30138474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theblobfishwrites/pseuds/theblobfishwrites
Summary: Everybody knows not to venture into the Glenwood Forest after dark.Because if the stories people tell each other in the valley are to be believed, whoever wanders the Glenwood Forest after nightfall gets taken by the Beast.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 10
Kudos: 47





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Updates weekly
> 
> The story is already written.  
> I only post in chapters cuz I'm evil xD
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Jaskier is tired. 

And freezing. 

Not to mention fucking furious!

Or, well, he would be all of those things if his thoughts and feelings weren't currently overshadowed by the continuously increasing terror that engulfs him.

In hindsight Jaskier should probably have seen this coming. He should have known Brian and his friends were up to no good when they asked Jaskier to accompany them into the Glenwood Forest. 

When Jaskier grew up his relationship with the other kids his age had been…complicated. They didn't exactly grow up to be close friends.  
So when they asked Jaskier of all people to check out the mysterious thing they had found in the woods he should have been more suspicious. 

And yet Brian's claim that whatever it was they had found was certainly important, but that he wasn't sure whether it was important enough to bother the alderman with, had sounded reasonably enough at the time. Given that the alderman is Jaskier’s father it had seemed perfectly ordinary that they would instead ask him to check out their mysterious discovery. 

He'd been elated, even, that they had come to him. After all, Jaskier loves himself a good mystery. 

Which is probably why he hadn't even asked what exactly it was they were going to show him. 

Still, it shouldn't have blindsided him as much as it had when the whole thing turned out to be nothing more than a stupid prank!

Once Jaskier had gotten his horse ready, Brian's gang had led him deep, deep into the woods until he had lost all sense of direction.

  
Not that Jaskier had paid a lot of attention to where they were going.  
He has always been rather prone to getting lost, especially when he gets excited. Brian must have decided to take advantage of that. 

Once they had reached the deepest parts of the forest, where folks don't usually venture and where there's no path or trail of any kind to be found, Brian had pointed out a hollow in a nearby tree and beckoned Jaskier to check it out. 

So Jaskier had gotten off his horse and walked over to investigate.

Which must have been exactly what Brian and company had been aiming for. 

All of a sudden they had rode off into the sunset, taking Jaskier’s horse with them and leaving him behind in the middle of nowhere, all by himself and with no idea on how to get back home. 

The whole situation had been mildly annoying at first. 

Jaskier had pictured how he'd get back home some time after nightfall, freezing and exhausted, but otherwise in good spirits and ready to laugh along with those stupid brats. 

But that had been hours ago.

Or at least it feels like it's been hours. Jaskier has quite lost sense of time, along with his nonexistent sense of direction. 

He might as well make it official:

He has no idea where he's going. 

He's completely lost. 

And if that weren't bad enough already, he's also soaked to the bone from the constant snowfall that's coming down in thick, puffy flocks. 

He's freezing his fucking arse off! 

Jaskier has never been good at dealing with the cold. The feeling in his fingers and toes has long since abandoned him and if he doesn't find his way back to civilization and a proper hearth fire then there's a serious chance he won't make it until the next morning. 

Brian's little prank has definitely gone too far.

And yet the cold isn't even Jaskier’s biggest concern. 

No, worst of it all is that it's starting to get dark. 

Everybody knows not to venture into the Glenwood Forest after dark. 

Because if the stories people tell each other in the valley are to be believed, whoever wanders the Glenwood Forest after nightfall gets taken by the Beast. 

And Jaskier is definitely not in the mood to find out just how much truth there is to those tales. 

He has to get the fuck out of here! 

Which, unfortunately, is easier said than done.

If only it weren't snowing so damn hard!

Everything looks the same, covered in a thick blanket of neverending white and more than once has he stumbled over a gnarled root hidden by the snow. 

Jaskier staggers on, determined to save himself, but truth be told there's no way of telling if he's even going in the right direction or if he's only stumbling deeper into the woods.

If he doesn't find a sign of civilization soon, or even just a path to follow, he'll certainly end up as the Beast's dinner. 

Still, he has to keep moving! Surely if he just keeps going in the same direction he'll have to reach the edge of the forest eventually. 

Just one step after the other.

Even if every frozen muscle in his body screams at him to take a break. 

He has to keep going.

Resist the urge to drop down on his knees and take a rest in the oh so soft looking snow. 

It probably wouldn't even be all that cold. 

He's already covered in snow, so how much worse could it be to just sit down for a second? 

And hey, if he squints his eyes the roots of that tree over there almost look like a chair.  
They're certainly inviting him to take a seat!

Maybe a short break might be a good idea, after all. 

Only a short moment to catch his breath. 

Just rest his eyes for a moment… 

  
  
  


A sudden noise snaps Jaskier out of his daze. 

He spins around, and frantically scans the surrounding area for whatever might be the source of the sound. 

But he can't really make out anything at all through the thick flakes of snow dancing down from the skies.  
It's like the whole world is hidden behind a curtain, anything further than a few feet away is nothing but white. 

So Jaskier strains his ears to see if the unexpected sound repeats, but the only thing he can hear is the heavy pounding of his heart. 

Has the Beast found him already? Surely, he still has time! Night hasn't fallen quite yet, after all! 

Unimpressed by Jaskier's attempts to reassure himself, a dark shadow peels itself out of the cover of the trees. 

The Beast. 

The Beast has found him. 

It's just not fair! Jaskier is too young to be eaten! There's still so many things he wants to experience, so many places to explore in the world! He can't just die at the tender age of eighteen without ever having left the Glenwood Valley! Oh woe is him for that most tragic of fates! The gods have forsaken him. Nothing shall remain of his existence but a pile of neatly gnawed off bones! Surely he will-

Hey, wait a second!

That's not a creature at all! 

They're dressed in a pitch black cloak, face hidden by a wide hood, but that's definitely a person! 

"Hey!" Jaskier calls out in case they haven't spotted him yet. He knows he tends to blend in with his surroundings sometimes. "Hey, help!" 

The figure hesitates for a moment, then trudges closer through the thick snow. 

"Thank the gods I found you!" Jaskier huffs, relief washing over him. "I'm completely lost. Do you know the way out of the woods? We need to get away from here before it turns dark and the Beast starts hunting us!" 

"It's already dark," the figure provides unhelpfully in a deep, gravelly voice that sends shivers down Jaskier’s spine. 

Jaskier looks straight up and squints against the thick snowflakes falling into his eyes. 

The man is right. The skies are pitch black. More time than he thought must have passed since he last checked. 

"So it is," Jaskier confirms and fights down the rising panic that's gnawing at his insides. "All the more reason for us to get out of the woods as fast as possible!" 

"Or the Beast will eat you?" the strange man asks for confirmation. His voice sounds almost amused. What the hell is wrong with this idiot, doesn't he know the tale of the Glenwood Beast? 

"Yes, that's how the stories go," Jaskier huffs, exasperated. "It'll stare right into your soul with those cursed, yellow demon eyes, paralyze you with its foul, rotten stench and then devour you whole. Now, I don't know about you, but I'd rather avoid that fate!" 

"Hmm," the stranger replies, but still doesn't get moving.

Instead, he reaches for the intricate clasp resting against his sternum (is that a wolf? Jaskier can't be sure, the snow is too thick to make out the trinket properly), and takes off his cloak in one quick, fluid motion. 

Without the shadow of the hood, Jaskier can make out the stranger's eyes. 

They glow in a warm, golden light. 

Yellow eyes. Just like the… 

"You forget to shower one time, and you never hear the end of it," the Beast chuckles.

It's the last thing Jaskier hears, before the world turns to black around him.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I got up early-ish for an appointment and I figured, hey, why not post the chapter before leaving instead of waiting till I'm back and got time like a normal person? ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Jaskier feels warm. 

That's odd. 

He hasn't been properly warm in a long while. That's how it always is in winter, but right now he feels downright _cozy_. 

It's that unexpected thought that makes him jerk wide awake and sit up straight in bed. 

Wait, he's in bed? How did he get there?

The last thing Jaskier can remember is staring into wicked yellow eyes and then… 

The Beast got him!

So why the hell is he sitting in a king sized bed, covered in an enormous pile of furs and blankets, in an unfamiliar room that seems to be crumbling to pieces around him? 

Seriously, this place has seen better times. The thick stone walls are covered in cracks, ice cold wind blows in through them and plays with Jaskier's hair. The sparse furniture, consisting of a wooden table and sturdy dresser, is worn and mismatched and the rafters high above seem to house a whole clan of spiders, judging by the amount of dusty cobwebs. 

The furs his nest is made of are thick and of good quality, though, and while the vast fire place only has a few glowing embers anymore, there's a fresh pile of firewood neatly stacked next to it. 

Quite curious. 

The wind whistles through the room and pushes against his back that is no longer protected by the blankets. 

Jaskier shivers miserably. 

It makes him more than reluctant to leave the bed, but he won't find out more about how he got here otherwise. 

So he slowly crawls out from underneath the pile on top of him, yelps when his bare feet touch the cold stone floor and quickly drapes one of the furs around his shoulders. 

Wait a second, bare feet? 

Jaskier glances down on himself and notices that he's only wearing his breeches and undershirt. 

The rest of his clothes, including all his winter gear, is gone. 

Why would someone want to steal his clothes? They're only hand-me-downs with nearly more holes than fabric left. The only value they might have is sentimental and even that is a stretch. 

Jaskier shrugs and puts it on the list of things he needs to investigate. First priority, though: Get the fire going again. 

He throws a few logs on the dying embers and holds his hands out in front of him as the fire slowly roars back to life. 

The room immediately gets a little warmer. 

Next, he checks out the dresser.

The top drawer contains...nothing. 

Well, that is unless you count a whole lot of dust bunnies as something. 

The next drawer definitely isn't empty, though. It's stuffed to the brim and something catches against the bottom of the top drawer when Jaskier tries to open it, so he has to quite wrestle with the handles before he can get it to budge.

Inside is…his winter coat, thank the heavens! 

Well, okay maybe he _has_ become somewhat emotionally attached to the stupid old thing. He's survived many a winter in it, despite the cold weather's best efforts to get him down. 

Jaskier pulls it out of the drawer and drapes it over his shoulders, on top of the fur he's wrapped in. 

Hidden underneath he finds the rest of his clothes, neatly folded. 

Reluctantly, Jaskier peels out of his coat again so that he can get dressed properly. Once he's put on his jacket, pants and socks, he slips into the cloak again and drapes the fur on top. The shoulders of his coat are worn pretty thin, after all. 

In the third drawer he finds his boots, as well as a candle, but no matches, and a comb missing two teeth. 

Just clutter. 

Jaskier gets the feeling this room hasn't been occupied in quite a while before he came here.

However it is that he came to be here, anyway.

He places the shoes next to the door for now and moves on. 

With the drawer taken care of, Jaskier puts another log in the fire and takes on his next objective: The window. 

There's a few small slits on the wall above the bed. Unfortunately, they're far too high for him to reach and look out of. 

Jaskier can be quite inventive in a pickle, though. 

So he gets busy moving the drawer against that wall. 

It's surprisingly heavy, even though it's essentially empty now. He can't just push against it without toppling it over, so he has to haul one side a few inches forward, run to the other side and do the same, back and forth.

It takes forever and before long he's taken off his coat and stripped down to his shirt again.

Eventually, Jaskier determines he's brought the dresser close enough to the wall. 

He wipes the sweat from his brow, climbs on top of the bed and from there onto the dresser and then peeks out through the narrow window. 

Outside, everything is white. 

It's only then that Jaskier notices the noise of the wind howling through the room. It had been such a constant sound, Jaskier had blended it out completely. But together with the view outside the window, or rather lack thereof, he realises there's a full on snow storm happening. His face is ice cold in an instant and the sharp wind forces tears into his eyes, which immediately freeze into tiny clumps hanging from his lashes. 

Wherever it is he's found himself now, one thing is for certain. He won't be able to leave anytime soon.

And he won't learn more about his surroundings, either. The ground outside isn't even visible and there's no way of telling if it's because he's high up or if he's actually on the ground level. Outside there's only a swirl of white, no matter where he looks. 

Disappointed, Jaskier climbs down from the dresser and curls up in his coat and fur once more. The wind blowing directly against his cheeks has rather cooled him down again. 

Since there's nothing much else to look at in the room, that leaves only one place to continue his investigation: 

The door. 

Jaskier left it for last on purpose. The confines of the small room have quickly grown accustomed to him, but who knows what waits on the other side? 

What if the Beast is lurking there, just outside the door? 

If Jaskier’s being honest, he has to admit that he's been scared to try the door. 

But now there's no excuse left to put it off any longer. 

Jaskier takes a deep breath and a tiny step towards the door. 

And then another.

Little by little, he creeps further until he is close enough to press his ear against the heavy wood. 

All he can hear is the whistling of the wind in his room. 

"Well, here goes nothing," he mumbles to himself, takes another deep breath and pushes the handle down. 

The door remains firmly closed. 

It's locked. 

A wave of relief washes over Jaskier. 

Now, of course he doesn't _want_ to be trapped in this room forever, but if the door had been open, he would have felt obligated to take the risk and explore what lies beyond. 

Since the door is locked, however, there's nothing he can do, so he can reasonably sit down and panic about his situation in peace for a little while longer without having to feel guilty or cowardly about it. 

He climbs back into the bed, piles all the furs on top of him again and waits to get warm and cozy once more. 

It's just as nice and enjoyable as when he first woke up. 

For approximately five minutes. 

Then Jaskier gets bored. 

Just as he's debating with himself whether he should try and do something about the locked door after all, the sound of a key being shoved in the keyhole startles him out of his thoughts. 

Within a heartbeat, the fear is back. 

How did he get into this room, who's outside the door, why was he locked up? What nefarious plan do his captors have with him? Has the Beast brought him here, only to devour him later? Maybe it simply wasn't hungry when it found him? (Though he supposes it's a rather strange choice to put him in a comfortable bed then, rather than a cage, or an oversized cauldron, or…). 

His mind is racing as the key slowly turns in the lock. Then all coherent thoughts vanish from Jaskier’s mind as the door is opened and someone steps in. 

Bright golden eyes stare back at him. 

For a moment, neither of them moves, giving Jaskier an opportunity to get a closer look at the Beast. 

Where yesterday at night its eyes were wide and round, in the dim light of day falling in through the windows they are slitted and catlike. Long, unkempt hair in the exact same color as the storm outside falls until past its shoulders. 

Other than that though, it looks rather ordinary. 

It's still just a man, really. 

An incredibly burly man, sure. The Beast’s simple white shirt struggles to contain a muscular chest and the dark leather pants hug its thick thighs tightly. 

But it's still just an ordinary man with oddly colored eyes. 

With the tray full of food it's balancing in one hand, the Beast looks downright domestic. 

How disappointing.

Jaskier was promised a monster, after all! A terrifying demon, a sight to make grown men weep and young maidens faint! (Then again, if Jaskier keeps staring at that broad chest he thinks the fainting part might still happen, if for other reasons). 

At least when the Beast opens its mouth to speak that reveals a set of sharp, pointy canines. Jaskier stares at them, hypnotized, and wonders what it will feel like when they close around his neck and rip out his throat. 

Because even if the Beast doesn't _look_ as beastly as the stories describe, the legend must be coming from somewhere. Why else would the Beast have taken Jaskier back to its…hideout? Lair? 

"You're awake," the Beast states and raises an eyebrow questioningly. 

It can speak! 

Right, right, of course the Beast can speak. Jaskier already knew that. He's heard it talk before, after all! How could he forget that pleasant, rumbling voice? Jaskier could listen to it for hours… 

The Beast shrugs and places the tray of food down on the table. 

Shit, Jaskier totally forgot to answer! The Beast must think he's slow or deaf or rude or something! 

"Uh, yes, totally awake!" Jaskier replies belatedly. 

"Well then you can tell me what the fuck you were doing in my woods in the middle of the night!" the Beast snaps back sharply. 

"Haha," Jaskier laughs nervously. "Just a prank from some of my peers. They brought me deep into the forest and all ran away. I got a little lost, trying to find my way back…" 

He gulps as the Beast stares at him with those intense eyes. After a moment his gaze wanders over to the dresser that Jaskier had shoved against the wall and his eyebrows rise so high, they nearly vanish into his hairline. 

He doesn't comment on the rearranged furniture, though, and remains silent. 

"So, uhm, what exactly do you want with me then, Mister Beast, Sir, if you don't mind me asking?" Jaskier blurts out as he nervously fiddles with the edge of a hole in his shirt sleeve. 

The Beast snorts in response, before he growls: "I found you in the woods, exhausted and nearly frozen to death and when I wanted to offer you my cloak, you passed out. Had to drag you all the way back to the castle. What do I want with you? I want you gone! As soon as the storm settles I'll kick your skinny ass out the front door!"

"So…no eating me, then?" Jaskier asks timidly. 

Instead of an answer, the Beast huffs and turns around on his heels to leave. 

At the door he hesitates, though. 

"Eat and then get some more rest," he orders, his back to Jaskier. "I'll wake you up when it's safe to cross through the forest again." 

The door falls closed behind the strange man and Jaskier waits anxiously for the key to turn in the lock again. 

It doesn't come. The door remains unlocked, this time. 

When it's become obvious that the Beast is gone Jaskier pounces towards the food on the table and practically inhales it. He hadn't realized how hungry he was. 

It's just some simple ham and cheese with a bit of bread, but it nonetheless tastes absolutely delicious. 

When the last of it is gone, Jaskier is almost sad that he didn't savour it more. 

He licks his fingers clean, climbs back into bed and tries to do as he was told, but sleep won't come. 

Jaskier feels well rested and not tired in the slightest. He never needs much sleep, after all and is always wide awake again after some four hours or so of nightly rest. 

Within mere minutes Jaskier is so bored he can't possibly sit still a second longer. 

He starts tapping his fingers against the bed frame, then soon after bounces his leg up and down. 

There's just nothing to do! How is he supposed to entertain himself in this tiny, near-empty room? 

No, Jaskier decides. 

He hasn't been eaten yet, so it's time to explore what lies beyond the door!

He puts on his shoes, wraps the coat and fur tighter around his shoulders and determinedly steps outside. 

Without the warmth of the fire in the room, the cold emanating from the naked walls hits him immediately and he starts shivering. 

Beyond the door lies a long, winding corridor with several forks branching off and leading deeper into the - what did the Beast say? They're in a castle? That would explain the stone walls, tiny window slits and apparent size of the place. 

Jaskier opens another door down the hallway at random and finds a large room in an even sorrier state than his. There's more furniture here, but it's all covered in huge white sheets. The room is clearly not in use. It seems like he's the first living soul to enter in decades. This will hardly tell him anything about what's currently going on here. 

Jaskier closes the door, picks a direction at random and sneaks down the corridor while opening more doors here and there. The picture is the same everywhere: Dust and sheet-covered furniture, crumbling walls, no signs of usage in ages. 

It gets worse, the further he goes. The cracks in the outer walls turn into outright gaps and the breath in front of Jaskier's nose would probably be visible, if it weren't torn away by the howling wind as soon as he exhales. 

Maybe he should turn around. 

He's clearly not getting any closer to the part of the castle the Beast actually lives in. 

Jaskier nods to himself and then walks back down the corridor he came from. 

Before long, he comes across a corridor branching off that he definitely doesn't remember passing before. 

Oh no. 

His stomach drops all the way down to his knees. 

No, no, it's fine, Jaskier tells himself. He's not lost! The corridor only looks different because he's coming from the other side, that's all! 

Nonetheless uncertain, he walks on. 

Despite his newly acquired fur, it's bitterly cold. 

The corridor doesn't become any more recognizable, nor do the rooms he occasionally peeks into. 

When Jaskier turns a corner and stands in front of a completely broken down wall, there's no more pretending that he's not lost.

The storm hits him with full force and blows a wave of snow into his face. He quickly retreats back around the corner. 

Jaskier is genuinely freezing now and he wraps his arms tighter around himself. 

Unfortunately, the gust of wind from the broken wall blew a whole lot of snow at him, so now it's practically impossible to curl up on himself without touching a spot where his coat is dripping wet.

Ugh. He hates winter!

He tries to retrace his steps, but soon enough the pattern of tears and gaps in the wall looks once again unfamiliar. Another corner and he's standing at the top of a narrow staircase, leading down. 

Well, that's definitely not where he came from. 

He turns around and tries to retrace his steps yet again. There has to be a way back to his warm, cozy room somewhere! By now, sleeping sounds very exciting indeed. He's so tired...every step becomes harder, his feet resisting his attempts to lift them off the floor. 

Did he come across this intersection before?

He can't remember. 

It all looks the same, anyway. Tree after tree in the neverending forest. 

No, that's not right. He's in a castle, now. 

There's no snow covering the ground. So why does it feel like his feet are pushing against some sort of resistance when he tries to move forward? 

Maybe Jaskier should just sit down somewhere and rest for a moment, catch his breath. 

He feels like he's walked through this maze for hours! 

Yes, a quick break is all he needs! That little alcove over there is just perfect. 

He'll just close his eyes for a moment and then press on. 

Just rest for a moment…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how many times can you have someone pass out from hypothermia before it gets unrealistic? Oh well...
> 
> Tune in next week to see how Jaskier gets out of trouble this time!

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated! Thank you~  
> Say hi on [tumblr](https://justablobfish.tumblr.com/), if you want!


End file.
